Mausoleum construction and the like.



C. U. DOWNEY. MAUSOLEUM CONSTRUCTION AND THB LIKE APPLIGATIO FILED MAY 29, 1908.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inven for.

Cha., fes U, Do/Uriel?. 7 wm C. U.VDOWNEY. MAUsoLEUM eoNsTBUoTmN AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1908. .91 2,368, Patented Feb. 16, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- 25 Z-n ven'or Chargers U Downey y w attorney wi ngs e s 'CHARLES U. DOWNEY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

MAUSOLEUM CONSTRUCTION AND THIE LIKE'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Appu'cauon met n. y 29, 1903, serra No. 435,833.

To all wlw/a 'it mai] con-ccm:

Be it known that I, Guarenas U. DowNnY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Decatur', in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in liilausoleum Constructions and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to masonry, and more especially to that class of devices thereunder known as mausoleums or burialv crypts;

and theprincipal object is to construct the crypt in such a manner as to reduce to a minimum its liability of injury under stress of weather or settling of the support, as well as to provide a construction wherein such injury when it does occur will probably 'affeet only one or two of the parts of any vault and can therefore be remedied with ease.

To this endthe invention consists in a construction whose preferred embodiment is set forth below, along with cert-ain details which may or may not be employed in this connection, and is shown in t-he accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1-is a general crosssection of the entire mausoleum or crypt; Fig. 2 is a front edge view of the floor and certain of the partitions. constituting parts of the lower row 'of vaults at oneside of themain passageway; Fig. 3 is a slightly enlarged end view of one of the partitions, showing a modication thereof; Fig. 4 is a section showing the parts of the lower row of vaults complet-e and the partitions of the row nextabove put,

in place; Fig. A5 is a section showing the front and rear walls which close the series of vaults.

As a whole this crypt comprises side walls 1 built on foundations 2 as shown in section in Fig. 1, front and rear walls with doors not necessary to illustrate, a central longitudinal passageway 3 with a main iioore and a ceiling 5,'and roof supports broadly designated as 6 and of which lthe details are not elaborated herein further than to say that they stand beneath the peaked roofing 40 and support the ceiling, resting at their extremities on the' cornices 7 las usual. Throughout the length of this crypt on opposite sides of its passageway 3 are erected two like series of vaults built in superimposed rows, and a description of one series will snflice for both. Beginning withfFig. 2, 10 shows a rather thick bottom flooring of cement or like material which may be molded in place byany improved means and provided with transversegrooves 11 that may be narrow or may be wider as shown at 111. Upon this bottom floor are erected partitions 1.2 which may have tenons 13 along their upper and lower edges .engaging said grooves 11 if they are narrow, or the said edges may be left full width as shown at 13() in Fig. 3 if the grooves are wider as at 111. Next above the lower row of partitions is placed a second flooring 100, and this and all above it may be reinforced by expanded metal sheets or strips as shown at 14. This iioor and all above it to the uppermost are provided not only with the grooves 11 or 111 in .its upper face but also with grooves 15 in its lower face for the reception of the upper ends or the tenons at the upper ends of the partitions belowxf" In this manner a number of rows are superimposed upon each other as seen in Fig. 1, and by preference the uppermost ooring 16 is made of less depth to accommodate the slant of the roof; and this short flooring may even be cast with an integral outer wall as shown at 17. .As the fioors and partitions are put in place the outer and inner end walls of the vaults may also be molded kpiece by piece while the builder can conveniently work upon them, and by preference both are made in members or parts each individually closing the extremity of one vault. The outer wall is designatedat 20, and where its members tions project betweenthe' meeting lines of the inner sections as best seen in Fig. 5.'

This is done because in Amolding the partitions bolts 25 are cast into them with their threaded ends projecting beyond. the front edges of the partitions to receive the washers 26 and rosettes 27. Finally slabs of marble or other ornamental facing material 28 are applied over the fronts of the inner wall members 23 with theedges ofthe slabs abutting against each other and theirv corners notched so that foursuch meeting corners produce an opening through which a bolt 25 may project. The washer 26 which is then applied is of a width to reach onto said four corners and hold the slabs in p lace, and

' 'nally the ornamental nut or rosette 27 holds the washerin place and locks all parts in position. Thus it will be seen' that each vault is composed of top and bottom floors which are integral throughout the length of the crypt, and of side partitions and outer and inner end walls which-are all made of individualmembers. This construction I prefer becauseexperience has -shown thatthe stresson structures of this character by reason of climatic changes or settling does not ordinarily injure members which lie horizontal, especially if they are reinforced by expanded metahbbut if such stress should crack any partition or wall member 1t could j easily be re laced. I do not confine myself to the-mol ing of these parts direct into position, as they may be molded separately elsewhere and'f then assembled although -in that case a suitable cement would be used 'at the joints in order -to make each vault air tight. Through the rear walls 20 are preferably formed vents 30 covered by valves 31 which are preferably constructed of flexible flaps suitably attached to the walls so as to han over the vents and shed any liquid or con ensation which may trickle down in the vent iues 32. As seen in Fig. 1, the latter are formed by spacing the outer walls 20 slightly away from theside walls 1 of the crydpt structure itself, and ati their upper en s these fiues 32 communicate with chambers 33 in which will be placed suitable deodorizrs or disinfectants forming no part of the present invention. If desired, the

rear walls ofthe short vaults in the upper row may be provided with similar vents and valves.

From the best knowledge to be gained by a long human experience, I am disposed to believe that a crypt and its vaults as thus constructed would endure .for a period of a great many years, but this assertlon is made with greater confidence because of the fact that should any member or part of the various vaults become cracked or any' of its seams become opened under the stress which might arise from time to time, said part could' be replaced for the reasons explained above.

I believe the-ordinary settling well known to exist with buildings erected in danp places would be resisted for a long period by making the bottom flooring 10 thick and solid as shown and reinforcingl the other ioors 100 .by expanded metal-both of which points of construction would tend to cause either side series of vaults to settle or tilt slightlyas a whole instead of individually, in the event that settling did occur.

By preference the parts are constructed -of cement in a man ner well known in the art, and its compositlon may be such as to permit a certaln trivial amount of canting or ftitions and of other distortion subject to strain without cracking; and the attachment of the marbleVV slabsA 28v above described is such that they can be individually and readlly removed f and replaced if they .should become cracked or discolored, withoutl necessarily removing Vthe inner wall members v23 and hence without-opening a vault at all. The feature of the valved-vent and the iiuc and deodorizer.

is not amplified in detail in the present application, but I consider its use quite valuable. in this connectionfor reasons which,

will'be obvious.

What is claimed as new is: 1. A series of vaults comprising a lower flooring having transverse grooves in its upper face, partitions fitting at their lower edges into said grooves, superimposed floors having grooves intheir upper and lower facesv receiving adjacent edges of said parsuperimposed partitions', -an outer wall, an inner wall made in members with their edges shouldered to embrace the front edges of said partitions and floors, fastening devices embedded at one' en d in the longitudinal members and projecting between the adjacent edges ofthe inner wall members, facing slabs made. in members 'corresponding with said inner wall members slabs individually covering the front wallv members and notched at` their corners to embrace said devices, andmeans on the protruding ends of the latter for holding the slabs removably in place.

3. A series of vaults comprising a thick n lower flooring having transverse grooves in its upper face, partitions fitting at their lower edges into said grooves, superimposed floors reinforced lwith expanded metal and having grooves in their upper and lower faces receiving adjacent edges of said partitions and of? outer wall made in members each corresponding to that of an individual vault with their edges meeting each other opposite said partitions and ioors, an inner wall also made in members with theirvedges shouldered to embrace the front edges of said partitions and floors, fastening devices embedded at one end-in the longitudinalmembers and projecting between the adjacent edges of the inner wall members, facing superimposed partitions, ani

- said inner wall members and notched in f fastening devices embedded in the partitions Y 'protruding ends of their meeting corners to embrace said devices, and washers and nuts on the latter for holding the slabs removably in place.

- 4. A series of vaults comprising superiinposed ioors and upright partitions, an outer wall made in members each corresponding to that of an individual vault with theirV edges meeting each other opposite said partitions and floors, an inner wall also made in members with their edges shouldered to embrace the front edges of said partitions and floors, all edges oiP t-he partitions having tenons engaging the members whichl meet them,

and extending through their front tenons, facing slabs individually covering the front wall members and notched at their corners to embrace said devices, and means on the the latter for holding the slabs removably in place.

5. A series of vaults comprising superimposed floor members continuous throughoutthe series and transversely grooved in adj acent faces, a series of upright partitions having tenons at all edges and engaging said grooves, outer wall members closing the individual vaults and recessed in the corners of their meeting edges to engage the rear tenons, inner wall members closing the individual vaults and shouldered at' their meeting edges to embrace the front edges of the partitions and allow the tenons of the latter to project between said'meeting edges, fastening devices embedded in the partitions and projecting through their tenons, and facing slabs individually covering said inner wall members and: removably held in position by said devices.

6. A series of vaults comprising superimposed iioor members continuous throughout the series and transversely grooved in adjacent faces, a series of upright partitions having tenons at all edges and engaging outer wall members clbsing the individual vaults and recessed in the corners of their meeting edges to engage the rear tenons,-inner wall members closing the individual vaults and shouldered at their meeting edges to embrace the front edges of the partitions and allow the tenons of the latter to project between said meetin edges, all the members thus far specified xlacing formed of plastic material, fastening devices having in said partitions their inner ends embedded and their Shanks projecting through their front tenons, marble facing slabs individually covering said inner wall members and shaped to permit the projection of said devices to the front, and nuts at the front end of said devices against the face of said slabs.

7. A series ofvaults comprising superimposed lioor members continuous throughout the series and transversely grooved in adjacent faces, a series of upright partitions having tenons at all edges and engaging said grooves, outer wall members closing the individual vaults and recessed in the corners of their meeting edges to engage the rear tenons, inner wall members closing the individual vaults and shouldered at their meeting edges to embrace the front edges of the partitions and allow the tenons of the latter to project between said meeting edges, and wall-fastening devices embedded in the partitions and projecting through their tenons.

8. A series of vaults comprising a lower flooring having transverse grooves in its upper face, partitions tting at their lower edges into said grooves, superimposed floors having grooves in their upper and lower faces receiving adjacent edges of said partitions and of superimposed partitions, an outer wall, an inner wall made in members with their edges shouldered to embrace the front edges of said partitions and floors, and fastening devices embedded at one end in the longitudinal members and projecting between the adjacent edges of the inner wall members.

9. A series of vaults comprising superimposed floors and upright partitions, an outer wall, an inner wall made in members with their edges shouldered to yembrace the front edges of said partitions and floors, all edges of the partitions having' tenons en aging the members which meet them, and astening devices embedded in the partitions and protruding from their front tenons.

- In testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this the 26th day of May, 1908.

CHARLES U. DowNEr.

Witnesses:

LEE C. Rrrorun, Ross` VOELCKER. 

